Cambridge tops league for UK economic growth prospects

Cambridge is harnessing its global reputation as a hub of scientific excellence and continues to attract significant inward investment – giving it the best prospects for economic growth of any UK city outside London - according to Lambert Smith Hampton's (LSH) UK Vitality Index 2017.

The report reveals that the highly acclaimed university city has retained its position at the top of the index as the location best placed to support economic expansion over the next 12 months.

Strong demand for residential and commercial property alike has driven considerable growth in both prices and rental levels.

Reflecting investor confidence in Cambridge, Aviva recently announced funding of 50 and 60 Station Road – the largest speculative office development ever seen in the city centre.

This forms part of Brookgate’s CB1 development which includes a public square, offices, student accommodation, retail and leisure, and a £4.5 million railway station upgrade due to be delivered in 2019. CB1 has already attracted notable tenants including Deloitte and Amazon, the latter being its first UK non-R&D or call centre office opening outside London.

The LSH UK Vitality Index assesses the UK’s 65 largest towns and cities outside London to provide a health check of their local economies and identify which are most robust, are best positioned to support growth and will provide the greatest opportunities for businesses to expand. The results are based on the analysis of 20 datasets, with each location ranked within six separate categories: most productive, fastest growing, most entrepreneurial, best educated, greenest and rising affluence.

Overall, the top 10 towns and cities in the UK Vitality Index 2017 are: